The re-regulation of the German gambling and betting market provokes the EU’s intervention

Gambling

The European market for gambling, slot machines and sports betting is highly profitable, but also highly regulated in the different EU member states. The German market is currently being re-regulated with legislative initiatives on the federal as well as on the state level. Sports betting companies will have to compete for a very limited number of licenses in order to offer their services in Germany. Gambling and slot machine providers face much stricter restrictions on their business.

While the adoption is currently pending between the responsible ministries, it is very unlikely to withstand the review of the European institutions. Potentially, the EU Commission will intervene and challenge Germany’s legislation with infringement proceedings. This pressure from Brussels opens room for new negotiations in Germany.